Spring 2025
®
depending on the water depth I’m fishing. Most
Photo: Bartusek Media Management
Yamamoto Senko, or lizard imitator.
of the time I’ll start with a 1/2-ounce coupled with an 18- to 24-inch leader to coax finicky bass in clear water to biting.
TroKar TK110 Extra Wide Gap Hook: I like this when the plastic bait has bulk, the extra-wide gap allows the bait to move on
My leader line is the
the hook set, which is ideal
Seaguar Gold Label (12-
when rigging creature
or 15-pound), which has
baits, like craws.
been specifically designed
for leader applications. Depending on the length of cast I’m making and the amount of cover I’m dragging the bait around, I’ll either use 15- or 17-pound Seaguar AbrazX as my main line.
At the business end of my C-rig, I’ll begin with a green pumpkin Yamamoto Baits four-inch Yamacraw but will go down to the three-inch size if the bite is tough, or if the bass wants a bigger profiled bait, the Yamamoto Sanshouo is a great choice.
Using the right hook when dragging a C-rig is important for making long casts and having a lot of line out. Coupling the right style and size hook to the plastic bait is a must. The two styles I’ll employ the most are:
FISHING
THE SPAWN
As the water
temperatures begin to
climb and a full moon is
present, bass will get that internal message, which sends them to the shallows to spawn. Areas to look for spawning bass include bays off the main lake; these are areas where the water will warm quickly. On rivers, look for backwater sloughs and lakes that are close to, but out of the current.
Once you are in a prime spawning bay, look for key sections of the shoreline that bass may spawn on. Possible spawning spots can be behind stumps, on lily pad stems, and under or around boat docks. All these areas have a common factor and that they are a hard piece of cover
TroKar TK105 Worm Hook: I like to use this hook when
a bass can spawn on, providing some protection from
fishing baits that are long, but are not bulky, such as a
predators.
page 54
Photo: Chad Eddings Photography